Receptacle for dental plates



NOV 11, l952 M. E. o'sULLlvAN RECEPTACLE FOR DENTAL PLATES Filed July 6, 1951 l N VEN T015. ASuZuJn/z B Y Mary fl TToeNEY.

Patented Nov. l1, 1952 f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE FOR DENTAL PLATES Mary E. OSullivan, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 6, 1951, Serial No. 235,469

(Cl. 206-1) f 7 Claims. l

This invention relates to a denture holding and handling device.

More specifically speaking this invention pertains'to a sanitary device for supporting a pair of dentures, which has been removed from the mouth, in such a manner that said dentures can be handled and cleaned without coming into contact .with the lingers, and can also be maintained immersed in a sterilizing liquid while not in use, the device being provided with a handle means usable to insert the supported dentures into and remove them from a sterilizing liquid and also usable to move them about as desired;

It is not altogether new, in `the art to which this invention pertains, to provide means for housing dentures and for supporting them, when desired, in a sterilizing liquid or in a position for being cleaned by a brush; but a search ol? the prior art discloses that Athere remains ample room for limproving upon such devices so as to render them better adapted for the required uses.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention are; to provide an improved two-part container for a set of dentures, said container having partition means between the two compartments thereof to keep out of contact with each other thel upperand lower dental plates of a dental set, thus safeguarding against either of them becoming marred or chipped by contact with the other; to provide, in a two-part denture container a partition member which aii'ords a convenient handle means for the operator to grasp when handling'the device; and to provide the device with an improved skeletal or spacedly apertured side wall structure which will afford a more free access to the contained set of dentures of the tooth brush for the purpose of cleaning them.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

lReferring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention, which has been reduced to practice, Y

jFig. 1 is a perspective outside view showing the device on a smaller scale than in the remaining views.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device with the cover fragmentarily shown in the open position, a set of dentures being contained within the receptacle provided for them.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the cover being shown in the closed position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the cover being shown in full lines in the closed position and in broken lines partly open.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on a reduced scaleV of a modification of the inner unit of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the device comprises two main units, namely, an outer, liquid tight container 'I and a denture holder 8 which lits removably within said container 1.

Said container is substantially rectangular as viewed in plan and is desirably about twice as long as broad so as to be properly dimensioned to have removably fitted into it said denture holder 8, the latter being so proportioned as to have litted into it side by side the set of dentures 9 and ID shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The width of the lbottom Wall II of said container is shown as being substantially equal to that of the mouth portion thereof, but the bottom portion of the container is shown incurved at I2 at each end so that the aforesaid denture holder 8, which is of an inverted dome shape as viewed from the side, will iit more closely within said container.

A cover I5 is hinged to the otherwise open top of the container by means of a hinge I6, said hinge being connected to one side portion of a dependent marginal flange Il which extends around said cover. The opposite side portion of said dependent ilange carries a catch I8 having a hook I9 to engage under a shoulder 20, thus releasably to latch the cover in its closed position. lSaid ange I'l is shown lined on the inside by a compressible gasket 2l, to make a liquid tight seal between the container and its cover.

The denture holder 8 comprises a U-shapecll strap 25 of form retaining material, desirably a plastic,the curvature of the U being in a' plane which extends at substantially a right angle to the breadth of the strap. At the time of the molding of said U-shaped strap a Vertical partition 26 is secured within the U-shaped strap 25 in such a position that said partition spans the space between the midwidth portions of the arms of the U. Said partition is contoured to provide it with an arcuate rise 2l in the middle part of its upper edge, thus providing a convenient manually grippable handle means for the denture holder.

Each side edge portion of said U-shaped strap has connected to it an edge portion of a skeletal wall structure shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 as consisting of an upper panel 30 and a lower panel 3|, said panels extending horiontally, there being between and below them ample space to brush the contained dentures. The two, spaced apart Wall structures thus provided co-operate with said through the` U -shaped strap 25 of the holder more freely to .admit the sterlizing liquid 33'to the im-v mersed dentures, to admit the bristles of a toothbrush while being used to clean the containedv dentures, as well as to aid in allowing said liquid to drain out of the holder when the-latterisr4 removed from said liquid.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modiiied inner unit or denture handling part 35 of the dev`ice,wherein"the.

partition 36 and its handle portion 31 are shaped approximately the same as in the other views, but

skeletal side wall structures are provided eachY consisting of` 'an approximately semi-circular, narrowk panel 38 carried by and between-rightangular upper panels 3S in eo-operation 'with a semi-circularly arranged series of lower rightangular panels 40 all of said panels 4D being ,widely `spaced apart, as shown, and all'of them being shown as integral with an intact U-shaped plate portion 4| which corresponds in position `and function torthe previously described j U -shaped member 25.

. The uppermost aforesaid pair of vpanels 39, of the aforesaid right-angular panels is located considerably below the upper edge ofthepartition p1ate36, so that the upperpart of the inserted denture is exposed for brushing, andthe re.

mainder of the surface of the outer side of said denture is nearly all of it exposed to the'brush,y

owingto the fact that the `arcuate panel .38 is narrowv and borders a wideserni-circular opening 38a, while the space outside of said panel'38 is but slightly obstructed by the panels 40.

The only direct manual handling of thedentures that is necessary incident to brushing them is lifting each denture outof the holder after one4 side of the denturey has been brushedand then reinserting the denturein reversed positionsothat, its opposite sidecan be brushed. And eventhis. handling may be unnecessary, for after taking,v

thelh'older-and contained denturesout of a'sterilf;

izing liquid the holder may beheld under a faucet f so that a stream of watertherefrom-may kbe used to cleanse all the surfaceportions offthedenetures.`

It will be seen that, 1n both embodiments of the. invention the sidefwall structures of the unit ordenture holder 8 are of a skeletal character, andit is evident that these wall structures may .vary greatly in design without departing `from: the ,A

spirit .of the claimed. invention.

Iclaim:

1. In a device of. the. kind described, aUlshaped strap of form retaining material, the curvature of the Ubeing in afplane which extends atsubstantially a right angle totthe breadth of.

saidvstrap, avertical partition spanning the space between the inidwidth portions of thearmsof;

4 said U, and a side wall structure carried by each side edge portion of said U-shaped strap, said wall structures co-operating with said partition and strap to form a two-part, detachable opentopped holder, one part of which is contoured to have removably tted into it the upper and the other part the lower plate of a set of dentures, said U-shaped strap being provided with spaced openingseto admit the bristles-of-fa tooth-brush While being used to` clean,thegpontainedSdentures.

2. The subject matter of claim l and said side wall structures consisting of a plurality of widelyspaced apart panels, to provide ample space to brush the contained dentures.

3.4 The subject-matter of claim l and each said side wall structure consisting of a plurality of horizontal vertically spaced apart panels, to provideample space to brush the contained dentures;

4. The subject matter'of claim 1 and eachmof said side wall structures consisting oan arcuate outer panel and a plurality of substantiallyrghangular panels which are widelyspacedjapart, A

said rightangular panels` bridgingythe spacebegtween said outer paneland said `U-shaped'strap;`

5. In adevice of thekind described', a'detach-V able U-shaped strap of formfretainingrmaterialithe `curvature of the'U4 being in al planeexten'dfv ingat substantially ra right angleto thegbreadth"y of said strap, aside wall-structure*carried-byleach;' side edge portion of said U-shaped strap," the' space between said wallystructures*being dimen@ sioned to contain` ay pair of vertically disposedI dentures having their curved end portions iitted into the curvature of said U-shape'dfstrap,A and", a denture separating means spanning'thespaeef between the midwidthl portions ofjqthe side 'poi'- tions or arms oi said U"shaped;strap '0. 1 Ieepithe aforesaid denturesF fromj contacting withjn each? other;

6. ThesubyacematterA ofciaim aand-at leastJ v one of said side wall structuresV consisting-of ,nar-y row'panels widely spaced apart, to provide :ample space to brush the containeddentures.

strap MARY OTSUBLIYAN REFERENCES CITED,-

The, yfollowing, references are of record, ,inkthe file ofthis patent: y

UNITEDSTATES PATENTS f 

